1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner supply device used for an image forming apparatus, such as an electro-photographic copying machine, a laser printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, an image forming apparatus is provided with a toner supply device which supplies toner from a supply opening to a developing section of the image forming apparatus, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3462860. The toner supply device is provided with a toner container section. In the toner container section, a flexible stirring member attached to a rotating shaft is rotated so as to stir and feed toner particles to the supply opening on a downstream by scooping up toner particles along a wall standing on the downstream.
In the case of using a sheet made of a synthetic resin such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) as the stirring member, a thicker sheet (e.g., a thickness of 0.125 mm, having a high stiffness) causes the toner feeding rate of the stirring member higher.
However, when a free end of the stirring member is released from an upper end of the standing wall on the downstream in the toner container section, loud sound occurs due to a restoration of the stirring member to the liner shape since the stirring member has the high stiffness and a strong resilience.